Jesus Calls To Prayer

February 12, 1941
The United Churchman
Lesson 8........ February 23
Golden Text: Lord, teach us to pray, Luke 11.1.
Lesson: Luke, Chapter 18.

Lesson Exposition Jesus in the sermon on the mount had given three marks of acceptable and prevailing prayer. It must be in secret. Inwardness is always an indispensable quality in worship with God. We are asked to "shut to the door;" it may be in our own room, or in some quiet garden retreat or on a lonely road, or even in the busy street as we speak to our Father. "There is a viewless, cloistered room, As high as heaven, as fair as day, Where though my feet may join the throng, My soul can enter in and pray." The second mark of true prayer is reality. Vain repetitions were to be discountenanced, the eloquent and unctuous phrases, behind which there was absence of feeling, Jesus taught, were not to be mistaken for prayer.'The third mark was child-like trust that would cause the petitioner to speak softly briefly in His ear, with the loving confidence that the "Father knoweth what ye have need of."

Importunity in prayer. Now here in this lesson Jesus teaches the place of importunity in prayer and also the attitude and spirit of prayer, contrasted with the worthy and unworthy kind.

Men ought always to pray, and not faint. The first parable, that of the unjust judge, is surely to teach us that God is willing to be importuned; he desires it for the fulfillment of His great purpose of blessing us. We need not make the mistake of interpretation that God is to be likened to a churlish, conscienceless fellow, such as the reluctant judge who cares little about justice. The point of the story is that if an unjust j u d g e will give justice at length, and yield to the entreaties of the oppressed, how much more certainly will the righteous God. We are not to conclude that prayer is a waste of time if the answer to our pleading seems to be delayed. Persistancy succeeds. Entreaty has efficacy. "Men ought always to pray and not to faint." We get impatient in our prayers and give in or up too soon. A few fitful and hurried attempts and excursions into prayer and then seeing no special results or fruit, some have reckoned the practise valueless or got tired, and dropped it as they do with so many things in fickle life. "Suppose," says Fosdick, "we were to make such a trial at friendship and after throwing off a few trial conversations should dogmatically conclude that there was nothing much in friendship after all. We know that friendship's fruit does not appear to bless us by using it in an occasional or dashing sort of way.

To be real and reap its harvest we know how it is to be cultivated habitually, persistently, lovingly. We can be sure where God finds [portion missing] sees prayer of self satisfaction fails to reach God because it reveals no need of Him. His prayer is really to himself. Self-esteem casts men down. Fellowship with God, that stresses dependence upon Him with humiliation, lifts men up to the Father.

Keep on praying. For the discouraged the first parable has a helpful message. Past failures may be disheartening; apathy and doubt and a sordid contentment with things as they are, letting things go, may all stop praying breath. The parable says to such: "Keep on praying; pray things through." . . . [portion missing]

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